Table 4 Table illustrating from highest to lowest the skills ‘items’ taught in nursing programmes in Australia
From: An audit of skills taught in registered nursing preparation programmes in Australia
Skill Area | Skill Grouping | Universities (n = 38) | Items (n = 1376) |
|---|---|---|---|
3. Medications and IV products (e.g. safe and appropriate administration of medications) | Clinician | 38 | 235 |
2. Understanding the different roles of RNs in different treatment or care settings (e.g. aged care, rural and remote, acute, mental health, etc) | Clinician | 37 | 206 |
4. Clinical monitoring and management - Use of assessment tools (e.g. Haemodynamic/respiratory assessment, MMSE, RUDAS, etc.) all forms of assessment are included here. | Clinician | 38 | 205 |
9. Clinical interventions – preparing, assisting after care (investigations/surgery/diagnostic) | Clinician | 32 | 100 |
16. Preventing risk and promoting safety – duty of care (e.g. strategies for reducing risk, risk assessment, etc. – promoting self-care) | Manager | 34 | 99 |
6. Personal care – ability to assess, plan, implement and evaluate care of clients across a range of settings using a holistic, comprehensive nursing model | Clinician | 38 | 96 |
10. Professional nursing behaviours - includes collaborative approaches to care (e.g. advocacy, scope of practice, being aware of one’s self, etc.) | Clinician | 32 | 66 |
7. Mental health nursing care (e.g. application of assessment tools and care strategies and interventions) | Clinician | 31 | 61 |
12. Dealing with emotional and bereaved people (e.g. breaking bad news, dealing with anger, etc.) | Clinician | 22 | 35 |
23. Communication and documentation i.e. verbal including handovers and non-verbal including documentation. | Communicator | 32 | 28 |
8. Knowledge of key nursing implications of common medical/surgical patient presentations | Clinician | 23 | 26 |
11. Privacy and dignity (e.g. culturally acceptable practice, personal space, respectful) | Clinician | 14 | 26 |
14. Coordinating skills regarding nursing process – uses a range of appropriate assessment strategies and skills across a range of settings. | Manager | 24 | 26 |
5. Technology and Informatics (e.g. IVI Management systems, patient information systems, etc.) | Clinician | 29 | 23 |
1. Planning of nursing care (e.g. range of varied settings/client’s needs) | Clinician | 29 | 22 |
17. Case manager (e.g. coordination of care, crisis/emergency situation management, etc.). | Manager | 18 | 22 |
21. Therapeutic nursing behaviours/respectful of personal space. | Communicator | 28 | 21 |
26. Demonstrates teaching/educator skills (e.g. utilising appropriate teaching and learning strategies in practice). | Educator | 20 | 16 |
25. Critical analysis and reflective thinking (e.g. use of reflection and critical incidents, evidence of linking theory to practice). | Researcher | 13 | 9 |
15. Leadership skills. | Manager | 4 | 8 |
22. Efficient and effective communication (e.g. with professionals in other disciplines). | Communicator | 3 | 8 |
18. Teamwork and multidisciplinary team working. | Manager | 13 | 6 |
13. Dementia related skills (e.g. behavioural and psychosocial symptoms of dementia). | Clinician | 4 | 4 |
19. Supervisory skills. | Manager | 1 | 4 |
20. Cultural competence (e.g. cross-cultural care, culturally safe and appropriate practice). | Communicator | 4 | 4 |
24. Learner/evidence based practitioner (e.g. appropriate application of practice evidence). | Researcher | 4 | 4 |
27. Acts as a resource. | Educator | 4 | 4 |
28. Promotes self-care (e.g. specific gender and lifespan related information and strategies). | Educator | 7 | 4 |
29. Demonstrates behaviour conducive to learning (e.g. approachable and supportive). | Educator | 5 | 4 |
30. Learning and developmental culture – learning environment (e.g. relates to an environment conducive to learning and personal and professional growth as a new graduate). | Educator | 5 | 4 |